Descent to Madness
by VictorianxxLyddie
Summary: All Alice had wanted was a more exciting life; now as one of Gotham's promising criminal psychologists working for Gotham Police and occasionally at Arkham, her life couldn't get much more exciting for her – until she met him. Joker x OC, Harvey x OC. Rated for later chapters.
1. Just a day at the office

A shrill ringing could be heard throughout the small trendy apartment; it was soon followed by a soft thud against a wooden door and a low human cursing. Alice yawned and sat up, stretching her arms above her head. Her body ached and the muscles in her back complained as they strained. She glanced at the empty place where the alarm clock should have been, and she sighed, I need to break that habit of throwing the alarm clock at the door to stop it, she thought as she forced herself to wake up.

Slowly, with the quilt wrapped around her like a cloak, she climbed off the bed and wriggled her toes, in an attempt to wake up one of her feet. She threw the blanket back onto the bed unwillingly and rubbing her bare stomach, she reached for the silk dressing-gown draped over the bed post to cover her slender and naked form. The old gown felt cool to the skin as she slipped her arms through the fraying sleeves. Tying it tightly around her waist, as if that would somehow make her warmer, she blearily padded into the en suite. Must be a Wednesday, she thought as she stared into the mirror and pulled her blonde hair out of the messy bun it had been in, I never feel good on Wednesdays.

Steam crept across the en suite floor and danced around her feet, warming them and her lower legs. With a sigh from the morning sniffles she had developed again; she let the dressing-gown slip to the floor. Stepping over it delicately, she crossed the small room and climbed gratefully into the hot shower. Water cascaded down her back, as she quickly washed her hair, splashing loudly as it hit the shower floor. The tepid water also flowed down her front and legs, soaking everything before she rubbed in shower gel. Her eyes were squeezed closed as she massaged shampoo into her roots but suddenly her eyes opened.

"Bollocks" she muttered and wiped mist from the door. From the shower, with the door open, she could see a wall clock close to the window and it ticked away the seconds, "Please be wrong."

Unfortunately it wasn't and it was now ten to eight. She was supposed to make a twenty minute train journey to the Police Station in the space of less than ten minutes. Growling at herself for not setting the alarm clock to an earlier time, she clambered ungracefully out of the shower and reached for the closest towel to wrap around her hair. She used the smaller one meant for her hair to pat down her legs.

At eight o'clock, the time she was supposed to be meeting the Commissioner, she pulled a pencil skirt on over a red lacy thong. Part of her wished for Harvey Dent to _notice _her today and if that were to happen, she wanted to be wearing only the best. Pushing her not so innocent thoughts of the new DA to the locked part of her mind, she rummaged for a shirt that would match. Nothing in the large wardrobe jumped out at her as the right thing to wear. Coming across a favoured t-shirt from university, Alice had to smile. Baggy, so that it slipped off of one shoulder, a tattered teddy bear shouted the words 'Are you suffering?' she barely wore the thing now and was surprised it was still in her possession.

"Not exactly helpful for Arkham patients to see that, didn't Jeremiah say that one lunchtime to me?" She mused as she glanced at a blouse before looking for something else. Eventually she decided that a red turtle-neck would be just fine for a meeting at Gotham City Police Station. Even if it was a meeting with Harvey Dent. Scraping her hair into a bun, she grabbed her handbag and filled it with the last of her make-up, a notepad and her keys.

Jim Gordon glanced at his watch nervously. Alice still hadn't turned up for work and she was usually prompt every morning. Clearly setting an earlier time isn't working for the young woman, he sadly realised. Thankfully, Harvey hadn't arrived yet either. Jim had hoped that Alice would be there already with him when the DA arrived to discuss the latest crimes. He'd turned away from the doors for only a moment when he heard the mild cursing behind him, many uttered apologies and a crash of something smashing on the floor. Alice could be clearly heard over the hubbub of noise.

"I am really sorry. I hope it wasn't an antique if it was I think I'll cry." There was a pause of quiet before the doors to Gordon's office were thrown open and a young woman in a turtle-neck sweater half stumbled in. "So sorry I'm late Sir, I woke up at usual time for a nine o'clock start, completely forgetting about the time change for this morning. So I thought I'd pop into the Coffee House to make up for it," she held up the cardboard that were supposed to hold four cups of hot drink apologetically with a cheeky smile, "but there was a bit of an accident."

"That's alright – what matters, is that you're here now. I'll assume you have heard of the Joker?" he raised an eyebrow when she stumbled again slightly as she walked over to the bin. She dropped the cardboard cup holder and looked at him. "Shall I take that as a yes Miss Greenwood?"

Alice nodded uncertainly. Of course she knew who the Joker was – part of her work life in Arkham was to know as much about the main villains in case she had to step in. The Joker was by far the most interesting case to study. He had escaped at least five times and seemed to not mind being re-entered time after time. Often exclaiming things like: "Good to be home" or "Hey Batsy, why don't you grab a jacket and join me?" Dr Arkham had been hesitant to give her the Joker's file because he believed she was too much like Harley Quinn and he didn't want another good doctor being seduced.

The doors opened again and Alice was dragged ruthlessly from her thoughts as Harvey Dent strutted into the office. She sat down in the chair closest to the window, out of the way until she was needed, and pulled out a notepad to take some notes. Secretly, she hoped that Harvey, with his slightly ruffled blonde hair, would turn and just look at her; perhaps even a smile. She bit her lip in anticipation and smiled when he nodded in her direction politely. By the time all the pleasantries were over, she was already not listening to Gordon but instead decided to draw many intimate doodles that held _absolutely __**no **_resemblance what-so-ever to her or Harvey. She would just bin the page or add it to her collection of doodles. Harvey Dent was definitely on her list of hot males, next to George Clooney and Michael Keaton of course.

*  
Several drooling hours later  
*

Alice held onto her small heels as she walked home - in the murky drizzle and car fumes. She swore loudly at several cars that honked their horns at her and she was beginning to feel even worse than she had that morning. The small sniffs gradually became worse and she was sure that by the morning she would have to call in sick. It had been one of the most boring days at the Police Station – despite her drawings and daydreams – and she felt that she would have had a better time talking to people in comas.

To make everything seem a lot darker and colder, Harvey Dent barely acknowledged her existence in the meeting, and Gordon seldom engaged her into the conversation. She understood they talked about Batman and the Joker, for they both featured in her doodles and sporadic short-hand notes.  
She sneezed as a car full of teenagers sped past cat calling. I'm just a body to that gang, a woman to the men at work and even the patients seem to lust after me, she thought bitterly.

"Would anyone miss me, if I just vanished?"

A high pitched whistle suddenly came from the alley beside her. She tilted her head as she shivered; not because a rain drop was tracing its way down her back, but because the noise had unnerved her - like it had answered her question somehow. She licked her lip and turned to face the darker area. She smiled slightly, the alleyway reminded her of the corridors in Arkham, and there had never been anything in _there _to frighten her.

"Hello?" she called into the gloom of the alley. Again, she was answered with the grating high pitched sound. Glancing around her, she hesitantly stepped into the alleyway. "Hello?" She asked again, though louder. She continued to edge slowly, avoiding the broken glass and rubble on the floor, until she was deep in the shadows where anyone passing wouldn't see her. The hair on the back of her next rose with fear. She looked around. There wasn't a sign of anyone except herself.

**Finally got this uploaded! Rate and Review and perhaps take a guess at who (though I'm pretty sure it's obvious) is lurking in the shadows. Next Chapter up next Friday/Wednesday**


	2. The Joker

**Here we are: In which Alice learnt not to follow whistles down into dark alley ways. Sorry for the late update, had a bout of no inspiration (It was horrible). It'll probably be a couple weeks between chapters from now on though.**

Hiding in the shadows, the Joker watched the young woman step cautiously over rubble as she searched for the source of his whistling. He'd seen her in Arkham during her training only once but he had heard much more from the other inmates. Men had talked of her with lustful intentions while Pamela commented on her youthful naivety to the horrors of the Asylum. The canteen had buzzed when she strutted through the doors to collect her lunch the time he'd seen her, and even if she hadn't heard it, he had joined in the cat calls. It took forever for the wardens to quieten everyone down again, but by then, the young trainee doctor had vanished, whisked away by a burly guard and Dr Arkham.

When she was looking in the opposite direction, he snuck up behind her – trying to contain his giggles - and lightly tapped her shoulder. She froze from fright, sending him over the edge; and he burst into a frenzied laughter. As if in a horror film she turned slowly, and the little light that made it that far into the alley flickered over her eyes. It took her a small moment to realise that she was stranded with _him_ and once she understood her situation, she screamed. Rolling his eyes, he clamped a leather gloved hand over her nose and mouth and pushed her at the wall. He knew he was applying too much pressure, and that she was struggling to breathe because there was that wild look in her eyes that everyone got as they crept closer to death. But at least she wasn't screaming any more.

"It uh, wouldn't be a good idea for you to be screaming right now Princess." He growled, and licked his cracked lips. "It might attract the attention of some _very nasty_ men." He watched as her eyes widened fearfully. She was still trying to breath, he noticed, giggling darkly, but her body was moving less now as it gave in to its fate. Something brushed against his side, causing him to break the eye-contact as he glanced down – she had tried to reach for something in her handbag. Raising an eyebrow he moved his hand slowly away from her mouth. When she stumbled forwards slightly, taking deep gasping breaths, he realised that he'd applied perhaps a little bit too much pressure. Her eyes followed his hand as he pulled out a pocket knife from his coat pocket.

Instinct kicks in, he mused as she ran, her shoes left discarded on the floor. The Joker brushed loose strands of his hair off his face before setting off after the young doctor. A chase always gave him a thrill. He counted down from five in his head, knowing that his goons would have parked outside of the alley and would herd the girl towards him again. True to form, they had performed perfectly and Alice stumbled back into his waiting arms. He grabbed her by the neck and held her against the wall again; the blade resting against her jawline.

"Please, don't hurt me." She whimpered; her voice cracked and sounded feeble, "I work for GPD."

"You also work at Arkham precious." He snarled. When she tried to reply, he moved the blade so that it rested over her lips. "Ssh, ssh, don't try and deny it Sweetie. I've seen you and so has every other male there."

He cut her bottom and top lip lightly. It trickled down her chin in a neat little line. Slowly, and making sure he had positioned himself so that she couldn't run away again, he let go of her throat. Each movement he made, she watched with wide beautiful light catching eyes full of fear. He grinned at her before pulling his glove off with his teeth. He shoved the thing into his coat pocket before gently dabbing his thumb across her bottom lip, smearing the blood across it. He then proceeded to lick her blood off his thumb.

The look on her face was a mixture of horror and wonderment. Her lips parted slightly and her eyebrows were brought down in a frown. Blood continued to stubbornly trickle from her lip. On an impulse, he kissed her roughly; the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as he sucked her lip clean. He expected her to try and push him away, or hit him, anything. Instead he received nothing, not a single emotion from the woman he'd been told would cry over spilt milk.

He leant away from her, curious to know if she was still alive. It wouldn't have been the first time he had killed a Doctor. He could still hear her faint breathing and her eyes were half closed in a seductive nonchalance. All emotions had been drained from her in her previous fear so that now she was simply a rag doll for his entertainment. He knew now, that she had accepted her fate.

Releasing her again, he walked away from her to her shoes. She was well liked and her absence would raise suspicion and he didn't want to leave any clues, not yet. Only once he was sure he could use her for his bat trap would he start leading the police on a morbidly merry chase. The Joker looked over his shoulder at her as he picked up her heels – she hadn't tried to run again and he was almost disappointed. He hoped he hadn't broken her already, he had hoped she was a little stronger than that. She flinched as he grabbed her arm and dragged her towards his van. The boys were waiting, leaning against the open side door, their masks resting on top of their heads rather than over their faces. Although they were mostly only useful for one time jobs, they did manage to spark some fresh fear in the girl. Alice struggled against him as he forced her into the van.

"You can't do this to me," she cried, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. As he climbed up into the van himself, she back into the opposite wall.

"I … think you'll find toots that I, uh, can." He giggled and climbed into the driver's seat. He slammed the door shut and waited impatiently for the boys to climb into the front with him. He drove like a maniac and laughed as law abiding citizens swerved onto the pavement to avoid his reckless driving. Alice's screams and the bangs of the van as she fell into them were like a soundtrack to his own little universe. He didn't even care if the Bat was out, nothing could ruin his fun this evening. He swerved around a corner sharply and his soundtrack cut out as Alice was knocked out when her head crashed against floor.

Her head was pounding and her brain felt bruised. She groaned in pain and raised a hand to her forehead, wincing and refusing to open her eyes. Only sudden laughter brought the out of the painful daze she was in. Her eyes snapped open and immediately Alice saw the Joker leaning carelessly back in a chair with his feet resting on the desk in front of him. He was staring at her with an odd sort of lust in his eyes as he repeatedly opened and closed a switchblade knife. Weakly, she pushed herself up with shivering arms. He swung his legs from the desk and stalked over to her, still holding onto the knife as if it was part of his arm.

With his empty hand he went to brush a strand of hair off her face, but she flinched. "Hey, hey Kitten I'm not goin' to hurt you." He cooed, although his eyes hardened. The switchblade found the corner of her mouth, he'd already cut her, and she knew he didn't have qualms about doing it again. Except this time it'd leave a mark as grotesque as his own.

"You know _precious_ you should smile more. You're far … too _serious_" he drawled, dragging the words out and letting them drip out of his mouth. None of the notes she's read as an intern had even mentioned how he could manipulate words to his advantage.

Powerless under his gaze, knife and words, Alice felt she could do nothing but stare at him. If she moved her head at all, she risked slicing her face. Slowly, he brought the knife away from her mouth. She knew he was watching her as she watched him put the knife away in his back pocket. She also noticed that he had leaned closer to her. When she looked up into his light brown eyes, there was that look of lust again, as if it wasn't just her fear and pain stimulating him. It scared her, just not as much as she thought it would or should. She decided that there was something almost intoxicating about his eyes and the way he stared at her.

She closed their eyes as their lips touched. It wasn't as horrifying as the last time because she couldn't taste her own blood and he was being surprisingly gentle. It was unusual because when she read Dr Quinzel's sexual reports, she had always mentioned how domineering and aggressive the Joker could be. There had never been a mention of this softer style. Caught in her own thoughts, she forgot who she was kissing and battled for power. The Joker became more himself and forcibly pushed her against the wall just by adding a little more power into his kiss. His hands groped at her breasts.

Her head rested against the wall as he placed a trail of kisses from the corner of her mouth along her jaw and neck, smudging his makeup across the lower half of her face. She felt him growl at her turtleneck hindering him from going further. Part of her was glad, she didn't want this to happen, but there was no way to escape it. She felt the Joker's gaze on her again and opened her eyes slowly, to stare directly into the brown swirls. The painted smile widened as he licked his lips.

"Why are you, uh, hiding your body?" He asked, trailing a hand tantalisingly up her leg, taking great care to make sure she was actually enjoying it physically and smoothing it underneath her skirt. "Girls aren't actually meant to follow the rule of tits _or_ legs. Rules are meant to be broken." His voice grew husky as he pushed her skirt further up. Alice closed her eyes, her breathing was uneven. Inside, her internal monologue was screaming, wanting to break away, yet her body was paralysed by masochistic pleasure as the Joker began to pull her tights down, his fingers making small circular movements on her bare skin.

**Please Rate and Review.  
Next chapter will be posted in a couple of weeks. **


End file.
